Just In Time For The Army-Navy Game In Foxboro, A Construction Crew In Waltham Unearthed Thirteen Cannonballs From The Revolutionary War
WCVB 5 - A dozen cannonballs that were unearthed Monday at a Massachusetts construction site were later destroyed by explosive experts, officials said.
The cannon balls and one more modern projectile were found during work to excavate a trench at 41 Foundry St. in Waltham, Massachusetts State Police said.
Numerous agencies responded to the discovery, including the Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad, the Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Team from the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services, and an ATF agent.
"With the assistance of local police officers and firefighters, the ordnance was transported to a safe location and successfully countercharged, rendering the items safe pending further disposal," state police wrote in a statement.
I'm back in Boston for the weekend and I can't remember a time quite like Army-Navy taking place today, and the city being flooded with service men and women everywhere. There's a buzz around town, but that's not all that uncommon.
It's different with the ramped-up military presence, and camaraderie on display everywhere you look.
People around here have a true respect for those who've dedicated and given their lives to defending this country. And have for 250 years now.
People forget, but "Massachusetts invented America." (President Obama's words, not mine.)
Regular old blue-collar farmers, and cobblers, and blacksmiths, lead by some of the smartest statesmen to ever live, set the whole thing off 247 years ago in this very area.
A fact I was reminded of this week when I heard about this cannonball story.
Thirteen live cannonballs being dug up by a crew digging for an electrical line is fucking crazy to think. Having to call in the bomb squad because John Smith and his boys forgot to dispose of their ammunition properly 10 generations ago, and you don't know if you can even touch them or not is wild.
(I didn't know if cannon balls were solid, filled with gunpowder, or what, so I looked it up. This is pretty crazy)
Robert Kraft has done so much good for not just this area, but the entire country. He really deserves a huge round of applause for gifting Gillette Stadium to the academies and doing it gladly, calling it one of his biggest accomplishments of his life.
Massachusetts was the birthplace of the National Guard in 1636, (that is one of the more crazy facts when you think about it. 1636!), and the Bay State is also home to the Charlestown Navy Yard, one of the six original Navy shipyards in the country, as well as the USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat.
Walking around here is like walking around in a literal world history museum. (One of my favorite parts about returning to visit, and Philadelphia in that regard.)
There's a rich military history here, perhaps greater than any other state's, and today's historical game just adds to it.
p.s.- credit to Belichick for killing it on Gameday today
Shame on McAfee for trying to ruin a great moment by awkwardly asking Kraft about Belichick's future at the end of this season. What a moron.
Speaking of Kraft, this was great to see.
p.p.s. - this is a great watch